


We're Heating Up Now

by skillzyo



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: ALL THE GOOD STUFF, Alcohol, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, F/F, Nicole Haught being adorable, Non-Graphic Violence, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Waverly being adorable, fluff so sweet gonna get a cavity, high school AU in a later chapter, mentions of Clam Jam Champ, minor mention of homophobia in later chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-06 22:39:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6773164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skillzyo/pseuds/skillzyo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>WayHaught ficlets written in response to prompts on Tumblr collected into one spot for easy reading.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Patience is a Virtue

“Patience is a virtue.”

Nicole chants it to herself like a mantra to get through the day. Despite what she had told Waverly that first night, she could wait for what she wanted. It just requires a little pep talk every morning as she buttons up her uniform, braids her hair back, and settles her stetson on her head. Sometimes it requires a second or third pep talk whenever she sees Waverly with Champ, but it’s worth the stolen quiet moments they get without him around. Still…

Despite her personal mantra, she can’t help the look she gets in her eyes whenever she sees Waverly and Champ together. It’s different when Champ is being an ass. Those moments make her feel like she has a chance. But whenever Champ makes Waverly laugh, the crushing thought that maybe she has nothing to offer Waverly overwhelms her and she has to look away.

The night Waverly approaches her at the pool table in Shorty’s, Champ hasn’t been around all day, which Nicole is grateful for.

“Well if it isn’t Miss Waverly Earp come to grace me with her presence,” Nicole says as she lines up a shot on the pool table. A hand on the small of her back startles her and the pool stick completely misses the cue ball and hits the solid yellow one right beside it.

“Good shot, but I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to hit the white ball first.”

Nicole smiles and shakes her head. “Kinda hard to focus when beautiful girls are putting their hands on me.”

Waverly’s face burns bright red.

“Good to see you’re still your charming, smiling self, Officer Haught,” Waverly says. She crosses her arms over her middle and looks down at her shoes. “I was starting to worry that kicked puppy dog expression you’ve had on your face the last few nights was going to be permanent.”

Crap.

She leans over the pool table and focuses on aiming.

“I uh… don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says as she takes the shot she had originally planned before Waverly had shown up. She still misses, but at least she hit the cue ball this time. A warm touch on her arm draws her attention from the table and down to Waverly’s hand. She raises her gaze to meet Waverly’s.

“I know you’re trying not to make me feel bad,” Waverly says, “but if you really think I haven’t seen how you look whenever Champ’s around, then you’re being a little silly. And I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, Waverly. I get that you’re not ready just yet and I really don’t want to guilt you into anything,” Nicole says. She leans the pool stick against the table, her game forgotten, and rests her hand on Waverly’s. She gives her a soft, reassuring smile. “But just so you know, I’ll still be here when you are ready.”

Waverly’s nose crinkles. “I thought you said you don’t like waiting for the things you want.”

“You’re worth waiting for.”


	2. Bare Your Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly gets to know Officer Haught a little better

The two of them were in Waverly’s bed, Nicole against the wall while Waverly lay on her side next to her, head resting on her shoulder and her leg intertwined with Nicole’s longer ones. Slowly, she started to trail her index finger over Nicole’s midriff revealed by the white tank-top she had on. A wave of mischievousness came over her and she slipped her hand a little further beneath Nicole’s shirt.

“Waverly Earp, just _what_ do you think you’re doin’?”

She pressed a kiss to Nicole’s shoulder.

“Trying to figure you out, Ms. Mystery,” she said. “What makes you tick, what you like. That kind of stuff.” She leaned up and kissed the corner of Nicole’s mouth. She pulled back so only her breath ghosted over Nicole’s skin, and she enjoyed the shudder beneath her hand. “And I plan to be _very_ thorough with my research, Officer Haught.”

Nicole turned her head and Waverly was struck by the way her eyes glimmered in the afternoon light streaming in through the window. When she placed her hand against Waverly’s cheek, Waverly closed her eyes and leaned into the touch. “Not that I don’t enjoy your methods, but all you gotta do is ask, Waverly, and I’ll tell you anything you wanna know.”

“Really,” Waverly asked, and the hand on Nicole’s stomach slipped lower rather than higher. Her fingertips brushed the top of Nicole’s jeans. “You’d tell little old me anything I wanted to know? Even the things you’ve never told anyone else?”

Nicole leaned her forehead against Waverly’s, prompting her to open her eyes again so she looked into Nicole’s. “You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted to tell,” she said before she captured Waverly’s lips in her own. When they broke apart, she said, “As for the things I like, I’d say you’re pretty high up there on the list.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “I already knew that, dork,” she said. “Tell me a secret. Something no one else knows.”

“Okay…” Nicole said. “Well, when I first came to Purgatory, I was actually kind of scared,” she admitted. “I left everyone I’d ever known back home when I came out west and everyone here already knew one another. Plus, everything is so open here and the horizon goes on forever. It made me feel small and alone.”

Waverly jutted her lower lip out in a pout. “It wasn’t supposed to be a sad secret,” she said before she leaned in for another kiss, which Nicole happily accepted. She pulled back and was rewarded with one of Nicole’s warm smiles. “If you ever feel like that again, just let me know. I’ll be at your side like that,” she said, and snapped her fingers, “and you won’t be able to get rid of me.”

“Good, ‘cause I’m pretty sure it’s no secret that I’m pretty fond of you.” Her eyes twinkled and she added, “It’s also hard to feel small around you when you’re so much shorter than me.”

Waverly smacked her arm. “I’m average size, jerk!”

“You are a lot of things, Waverly, but average isn’t one of them.”


	3. Let Me Help You Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly has some work to do at the library. Nicole accompanies her.

Waverly rubbed her shoulder with her free hand as she sat hunched over the table in the local library. A journal she had requested from the University of Cordoba had come in a few days ago, and she had spent her time since then working to translate it for Purgatory’s own collection.

While she waded through the text, the worst knot in her life had taken up residence between her shoulder blade and her spine. It was in just the right spot where she couldn’t reach it herself and the annoying pain was driving her bonkers. Normally she could get Wynonna to massage it, but her sister and Dolls had gone to the city to investigate a string of disappearances. According to the last message she received from Wynonna, they hadn’t been able to uncover whether it was due to a Revenant or some other supernatural being.

Which meant they still didn’t know if they needed Waverly’s help or not. God, she hated being a consultant. She never got to take the fun field trips.

Waverly sighed, then twisted her head from side to side and felt the bones crack in her neck. Not only did she feel better, but she also managed to get a glimpse of the woman who had accompanied her to the library. 

Nicole Haught sat in a plush arm chair in the middle of a circle of children, all of them listening intently as she read from a brightly colored book. She held the book up with the pages facing out and made sure to turn it in each direction so every child around her could see the pictures. Waverly’s heart melted a little at the sight. When Nicole’s eyes wandered from the words on the page and met Waverly’s gaze instead, Waverly waved and, to her surprise, Nicole blushed and quickly returned her attention to the story in her hands.

She had run into Nicole just as she was leaving the convenience store. Waverly had gone to stock up on snacks. Nicole had been stopping in to grab a bagel. There had been an awkward shuffle between them as they tried to dance around one another in the doorway, but then Nicole had laughed and decided to stand still so Waverly could get around her. That was when she noticed the officer was not in uniform—she still had the goofy hat on though—and an idea struck her. She had managed to stammer her way through an invitation to the library, and to her delight, Nicole had said yes. 

A chorus of groans echoed through the room and Waverly looked over to find that Nicole had finished the last book in her pile. She said something to calm the kids down, then plucked her hat off her head and let it rest on a young boy’s instead. It slid down over his eyes and ears, but Waverly could see the smile lighting up his face from across the room. A smile of her own appeared when Nicole sauntered towards her.

“Learning anything interesting?”

“Honestly, I’m still piecing together bits of the language. I’m not exactly fluent in Spanish. Not yet, anyway.”

Nicole looked down at the book on the table and the collection of detailed notes Waverly had taken beside it. “Wow,” she said. “You’re really something else, you know that, Waverly?”

“Yeah, well… I haven’t really learned much from it yet. Just that hunched shoulders and long periods of time shouldn’t mix,” Waverly said as she stretched her arms towards the ceiling, only to wince at the tightness near her shoulder-blade.

Nicole smiled and shook her head. “Lean back for a minute and relax, silly,” she said. Waverly eyed her suspiciously. “No tricks up my sleeves, I swear. Just let me help you out, then you can get back to your book.”

Cautiously, Waverly leaned back in the chair and Nicole stepped behind her.

Strong hands rested on Waverly’s shoulders and Nicole slowly applied pressure to the muscles around her shoulder blade. She rubbed smooth circles around the sore area, but avoided the knot near the bone for the time being. Waverly had to bite back a moan when Nicole’s thumbs pressed into the back of her neck. Her head lolled forward and her eyes slipped closed as the muscles in her neck loosened. She was almost positive she was in heaven. Finally, Nicole’s skilled fingers worked their way back down to Waverly’s shoulder blade and this time Waverly did moan. 

Loudly.

Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hands. She glanced at the group of children across the room, but they were too busy scrambling over Nicole’s hat to notice the sound she made. Their parents, on the other hand, were giving her the stink eye.

“Don’t worry,” Nicole said from behind her. The next thing she knew, warm breath tickled her ear. “I get that reaction a lot.”

Oh, Waverly was definitely going to get her back for that, but for now she was content to enjoy the way Nicole’s hands felt on her.


	4. I Almost Lost You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly ends up in the hospital.

A steady beeping sound echoed in Waverly’s ears. She groaned at the sound and blindly tried to reach out for her phone to turn her alarm off, but her arm was oddly heavy and the most she could do was twitch her finger slightly. Her brow furrowed and she tried again, but it still felt like her arms were weighed down.

“Waverly?”

A warm touch against her cheek accompanied the voice, which was far more pleasant than the annoying beep that seemed to grow louder and louder with each passing second. Slowly, she struggled to open her eyes. When she finally succeeded, she found Nicole’s face hovering over hers. Her eyes were red and glistened in the light. As much as she enjoyed the sight of the woman above her, however, the more she regained her senses, the more obvious the pain in her body was. Every inch of her ached.

“Jesus, did I get hit by a bus?”

Her voice was barely above a rasp—she couldn’t manage much more—and the sound of it had Nicole pulling away and ducking her head. As hard as she tried to hide it though, Waverly could feel the splash of tears against her hand. She wanted to reach up and wipe them away, but everything still felt so heavy.

A nurse entered the grey room a moment later, brandishing a Styrofoam cup of ice water. Nicole took it from her and, after wiping her eyes, she held it up so Waverly could drink from it. Normally, she would be indignant at the action, but right now her throat hurt too much and she was too thirsty to care. After the nurse checked Waverly over, she left to find the doctor, and Waverly and Nicole were alone again. When Waverly finished as much as she could of the water, Nicole put the cup on the table beside the bed and promptly distracted herself by looking at her lap.

“You were… You got sick,” Nicole said in shaky voice. “We were on a hike. You kept sayin’ you were fine, but then you just collapsed and you wouldn’t wake up.” She paused and the beep from the machine beside Waverly’s bed filled the silence until Nicole could gather her thoughts again. “They didn’t know what was wrong with you, except that you were slipping further and further away.”

“Hey, look at me,” Waverly said, her voice a little stronger than earlier. Nicole shook her head. “Don’t be like that. Look at me.” When Nicole did look up, Waverly smiled—it was about the only thing she could do without everything hurting—and that finally broke the dam Nicole had built.

“I almost lost you, Waverly,” she said in a choked voice. “You were so pale a-and looked so small in that hospital bed.”

“According to you, I’m always small.”

Nicole laughed and swiped at the tears on her cheeks. “I didn’t think you could get any smaller than you usually are, but you just had to go and prove me wrong, didn’t you?”

“Gotta keep you on your toes,” Waverly said. Nicole shook her head, but a hint of a smile finally appeared on her face. “There it is, the smile I’ve been dying to see again.” Nicole winced. “Sorry. Poor choice of words?”

Nicole took Waverly’s hands in hers. “Maybe a little, but I’m just happy to hear your voice again, so I’ll let it slide.”


	5. Chapter 5

Her legs burned as they pumped beneath her and it was becoming more and more difficult to ignore the stitch in her side with each passing breath. Every step was hindered by the wood’s undergrowth. She nearly stumbled, but quick hands steadied her and set her right again before she could fall. She flashed Nicole a grateful smile, but it didn’t last long because both of them tripped seconds later over a thin line of wire hidden in the underbrush of the forest.

The Revenant had been ready for them.

“Shit shit shit,” Waverly said as she clambered to her feet.

Nicole rose beside her, but instead of getting ready to run again, she took up a defensive stance and pulled her gun from its holster.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Buying you some time. You need to get to Wynonna.”

“Nicole, that can’t kill them,” Waverly said, gesturing towards the gun in her hand.

“But it can slow them down, right?” Nicole asked, and Waverly wished she had never shared that bit of information. Nicole shifted her gaze to Waverly instead of the dark treeline. Dirt clung to her neck and a scratch from one branch or another marred her cheek. Strands of red hair had come free from the braid during their mad dash through the woods. “I’ll keep it busy, Wave. You need to get Peacemaker to Wynonna. Dolls will find you if I don’t.”

Waverly wanted to yell, to drag Nicole behind her. Anything to keep her by her side. Instead, she pulled her into a harsh, desperate kiss. When she pulled away, her eyes blazed.

“If you die, I will track you down in the afterlife and kill you again,” Waverly growled, before she continued her dash towards the other end of the forest, leaving half her heart behind in the middle of the woods.

Waverly found Wynonna in a small camp, caged like an animal. A cut on her forehead stood out in the light of the campfire and it looked like her left eye was beginning to swell and turn a gross shade of purple and black. Worse than the cage, her arms were twisted behind her back and bound there by a thick rope.

“What the hell are you doing here, Waverly?”

“Saving your ass. You could act a little more grateful,” Waverly said as she picked up a heavy rock from the ground. She slammed it against the padlock and bashed against it until it fell to the ground with a thud.

“I was handling it!”

Waverly gave her a doubtful look before she opened the cramped cage and let Wynonna scoot her way out of it.

“Might as well stay in there, girlie. Not gonna be alive long enough to enjoy your freedom anyway.”

The harsh voice from outside the firelight had Waverly looking over her shoulder. A shudder ran up her spine as her gaze met the bright red glow of the Revenant’s eyes. She felt Wynonna stiffen beside her. In the firelight, Waverly saw the bullet wounds that peppered his torso, all four of them oozing thick black sludge. Her eyes flickered down to his hand. In it, he grasped one Nicole Haught by the bloodied collar of her shirt. Waverly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the subtle rise and fall of Nicole’s chest.

She was still alive.

“Bobo thinks he’s king of the Revenants? Well Bobo has another thing comin’. _Bobo_ didn’t kill two heirs all on his lonesome, now did he?”

“Buddy, you got a few too many screws loose,” Wynonna said as she struggled to her knees. Subtly, she shifted her back towards Waverly so she could loosen the rope around her wrists, which had been tied tight enough to slice her skin and leave it raw.

“Shut the hell up! If I got a screw loose, it’s ‘cause of your damn family, Heir,” the demon growled. “And after I kill this pest," he said, shaking Nicole in his hand. She yelped at the movement and Waverly moved on instinct--to go to her when she was so obviously hurting--but Wynonna shifted so Waverly couldn't get around her. "I'm gonna kill you and your sweet sister and enjoy every—”

A gunshot echoed from the trees and a bullet lodged itself firmly in the Revenant’s chest. Its grip loosened on Nicole’s shirt as he stumbled back. Dolls appeared from the treeline behind the campsite.

“You’re not going to do a damn thing,” Dolls said. He pulled a tactical knife from his belt and tossed it to Waverly. “Cut her free.” His eyes didn’t leave the Revenant.

Waverly sliced through the rope with ease and once she was free, Wynonna flexed her fingers and pulled Peacemaker from Waverly’s hip. She gave her a wink before she got to her feet and aimed the barrel of the gun straight between the eyes of the Revenant and pulled the trigger.

Once the Revenant had been sucked back to Hell, Waverly hurried to her feet and ran to Nicole’s side. She knelt in the dirt and softly touched Nicole’s face.

Bleary eyes looked up at her, hardly able to focus. “Hey beautiful,” Nicole said in a shaky voice. “Didn’t think I’d be lucky enough to see you again.”

“Shut up, you idiot,” Waverly said, but there was a strained smile on her face as she searched for the source of blood on the collar of Nicole’s shirt. What she found was a large, jagged wound in Nicole’s shoulder that went clean through to the other side.

Nicole hissed. “Big knife,” she said. “Hurts.”

Dolls approached the two of them, satisfied that Wynonna was okay. “Can you make it out of the woods, Officer Haught? Got an ambo on its way to meet us out in the open.”

Nicole nodded and struggled to her feet. Waverly helped her up and, once she was standing, kept close to her side.

“Don’t do that. I’m gonna get you all messy.”

Despite her slurred words, Nicole leaned heavily against Waverly.

“I don’t care.” Waverly blinked the tears out of her eyes. "I'll take you bleeding on me over you dying on me any day," she said. Then she shifted so she held up most of Nicole's weight and slowly guided her through the woods, careful not to let her trip over any more traps hidden in the underbrush.  

They had been walking for several minutes, Dolls and Wynonna a few feet ahead of them, when Nicole spoke again.

“Waverly?”

“Yeah?”

“You kissed me.”

“I did.”

“I liked it more than I thought I would,” Nicole said, and Waverly blushed. “Do you think… we could do it again some time? Minus the demons?”

“You got it, Officer Haught. Once you’re better, I’ll kiss you all you like.”


	6. Purgatory: Not As Bad As It Could Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A high school AU, but only in the sense that Nicole ends up in Purgatory while she and Waverly are still in high school. Alcohol is involved in this chapter.

The party is too loud and Nicole has stupidly consumed far too much alcohol. The room won’t stop spinning, but there are enough unfamiliar bodies to stumble against to keep her on her feet while she walks. Somewhere between the kitchen and the living room, she drops the plastic cup she had been carrying, but she doesn’t care. She just wants silence and fresh air. She struggles with the front door for a moment, but she eventually tugs it open and nearly falls back into the mass of swaying strangers in the living room. Her stomach turns and her skin pales. It isn’t long before she leans over the railing and vomits into the bushes. A groan escapes her lips and she rests her head against the cool metal of the railing and someone below her yells.

Oops.

She would say she’s sorry, but right now she doesn’t care. She doesn’t even want to be here. Not at the party, and certainly not in Purgatory, but life is full of crappy surprises, and one of them had been her father’s mid-life crisis and a sudden need for a change of scenery.

While Nicole normally wouldn’t drink, she had needed something to forget how crappy she felt about the move and had gone on a walk. The walk had turned into a run and the run through the unfamiliar town had brought her here, to a house party where she knew absolutely no one. Another reminder that she had lost her old life. One drink had led to another and that had led to her now wallowing in self-pity against a railing because the thought of moving makes her head spin more than it already is.

“Hey,” an unfamiliar voice comes from behind her, but Nicole doesn’t look over her shoulder. If she does, she may puke again. Then there’s a hand on her arm and the only thing Nicole notices is how soft the touch is. “Are you alright? I think you just puked up an entire bottle of tequila.”

Nicole groans. Just the thought of alcohol is making her stomach churn again. Something about the voice is soothing though, so she slowly turns to face the first person to acknowledge her presence at the party. What she finds takes her by surprise.

A slim, wisp of a girl stands in front of her, her loose brown hair falling in waves past her shoulders. Even though she’s wasted off her ass, Nicole somehow manages to refrain from reaching out and touching it. Barely.

“Oh, I’m fine,” Nicole lies. She is far from home and even farther from fine, but she won’t admit to that. “I’m fine,” she repeats. “Not as fine as you, but still fine.” She’s rambling. She knows it, but she’s never been an eloquent drunk. She’s pleased to see that her words still bring a blush to the surface of the stranger’s cheeks though. “You got a pretty name to go with that adorable face of yours?”

Not her smoothest line, but the girl’s cheeks turn a darker shade of red and she ducks her head.

“Waverly.”

“Waverly,” Nicole repeats, barely able to wrap her tongue around the sounds. The alcohol is definitely catching up with her. “That’s… That’s a really pretty name, Waverly.”

Then she’s stumbling forward and the last thing she remembers is Waverly’s alarmed yelp as she falls against her.

Her first thought when she wakes up is that she is never drinking again. Her head is pounding and she’s pretty sure her liver hates her. She groans and, slowly, starts to sit up. That’s when she realizes the constant beat of music from the party no longer pounds against her skull. All she can hear is the occasional buzz of an insect. Grass tickles the palms of her hands.

Where the hell is she?

“You’re awake!”

The voice from before startles her, and the girl from before—Waverly—rushes through an apology, but Nicole waves it off.

“Not your fault I’m an idiot.”

“True,” Waverly says as she sits beside her.

“Hey!” But there’s a lopsided smile on Nicole’s face. It’s hard to be angry with Waverly. “Where are we, anyway?”

“My aunt and uncle’s front yard,” Waverly says. “After you passed out on me, I didn’t want to drag you inside ‘cause uh… that would be really awkward. So I thought we could wait out here. Figured you had to wake up eventually.”

“Oh,” is all Nicole can say. Smooth.

“I never got your name, by the way, which is weird because I know, like, everyone’s name, but not yours.”

“It’s Nicole,” she says. “Nicole Haught.”

Waverly mumbles something that sounds a little like, “Of course it is.”

“Would you like a number to go with my name?”

Waverly laughs. “Like you can even remember your number right now. I’m pretty sure you’re still drunk.”

She has a point.

“I’ll ask again when I’m sober then,” Nicole says, and Waverly ducks her head. “If I remember, anyway.”

Waverly clears her throat and gets to her feet. “If you’re feeling well enough to offer your number, I’m guessing you can make it inside,” she says and offers her hand. Nicole takes it and when Waverly lifts her with ease, she realizes how deceptive her small size is. “The stairs are another question, but we’ll tackle that problem when we get to it.”

“I think I’ll be fine,” Nicole says as she follows Waverly to the house. She stumbles on the first step of the front porch. Thankfully, Waverly doesn’t laugh.

Instead, she helps her up and quietly opens the front door. Soon she’s guiding Nicole up the stairs with practiced hands, as if she’s done this a thousand times before. When they reach what Nicole assumes is her bedroom, Waverly closes the door and leads her to the large queen-sized bed in the middle of the room.

“Kinda feels like you’re good at sneaking girls into your room, Waverly,” Nicole teases as Waverly settles her on the mattress. Waverly’s lips form a thin line and Nicole regrets the words immediately. “Sorry. That was dumb.”

“It was, but it’s okay,” she says as she walks to the closet across the room. When she comes back, she holds out a tank top and a pair of loose shorts. “Here. I’ll be right back.”

Nicole takes the offered clothes and, after Waverly leaves the room with an armful of clothes, Nicole changes. The shirt is too small on her and rides up above her belly button and the shorts barely reach the middle of her thighs, but it’s better than sleeping in jeans. She’s under the blanket by the time Waverly comes back.

“Scoot,” Waverly says, and Nicole moves to the other side of the bed. Waverly climbs in beside her and Nicole is pleasantly surprised when she gets under the comforter with her. Part of her had been terrified Waverly was going to be too uncomfortable to sleep under the blankets. She’s happy to have been proven wrong.

Maybe she had been wrong about Purgatory, too.

It can’t be all bad if someone like Waverly lives there.


	7. Kiss Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly dumps Champ.

Champ shouldn’t be allowed to look like she just ripped his heart out, not after all the times he had cheated on her. If she could keep a smile on her face while he repeatedly stomped on her forgiving nature, then he could have the decency to not pout while she breaks up with him. But here he is, close to tears in the old apartment they used to share, and she knows the excuses are soon to come. She’s done listening to them.

Too long she had held onto him out of fear of nobody else wanting her. She had been afraid of asking too much from him. Afraid to confront him about the women who shared their bed, because if she lost him, who did she have left?

But then Wynonna had come back. She had someone again.

Not long after that, Officer Haught had sauntered into Shorty’s, all smiles and bright eyes, and for the first time, Waverly had felt like somebody’s first choice and not just someone to hold onto when no one else was available.

So she ignores Champ’s excuses now. Ignores the way he stammers through a slew of apologies. Ignores the way he fumbles in his pocket for a ring she no longer wants. Ignores his proposal, born out of desperation to hold on to her.

Instead, she heads downstairs to the bar, where she finds Gus polishing the glasses for when the bar opens. She quickly makes a triple shot, dry cappuccino for herself and brews a fruity herbal tea to go with it. She scribbles on the cup of tea and before she leaves, she kisses Gus on the cheek and tells her to check on Champ if he hasn’t left the apartment within half an hour. Then she’s out the door and walking to the police station down the road.

She finds Nicole at her desk looking over old case files. She feels lighter than ever before as she approaches. Waverly sets her own drink down on one of the officer’s desks—she’s sure Charlie doesn’t mind—then approaches Nicole’s desk. She clears her throat to pull Nicole’s attention away from the case in her hands and the butterflies in her stomach flutter to life when Nicole smiles at her.

“I brought you something,” she says, ignoring the eyes she can feel watching her.

“Oh! Thank you,” Nicole says as Waverly hands her the Styrofoam cup. She’s about to take a drink, but her gaze lands on the message scrawled across the top. Her eyes widen and she looks up at Waverly.

When Waverly nods, Nicole stands from her chair and slowly reaches out to cup Waverly’s cheek in her hand, almost as if she can’t believe it’s really happening. Then she leans down and captures Waverly’s lips in her own, and a chorus of cheers from the other officers echoes against the walls, but Waverly can barely hear them as she loses herself in the way Nicole feels against her lips.

They break the kiss, but Nicole keeps her hand against Waverly’s cheek, unwilling to break the contact she has craved for so long.

“This isn’t a dream, right?” Nicole asks, and Waverly laughs. “Hey, I’m serious! It wouldn’t be the first time!”

And Waverly’s heart skips a beat at the thought of Nicole dreaming about her.

She shakes her head. “Not a dream, Officer Haught. This is the real deal,” she says. “Sorry if it didn’t live up to expectations.”

“Oh, it exceeded them,” Nicole says as she pushes a loose strand of Waverly’s hair behind her ear. “But we could always try again to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.”

“I like the way you think,” Waverly says before she pulls Nicole into another kiss.

While the two of them finally give in to the feelings that have been building between them, Charlie waits a moment, then reaches across his desk for Waverly’s forgotten cappuccino. He shouldn’t let it go to waste. The cup of tea on Nicole’s desk, however, goes untouched until after Waverly leaves. It’s cold by then, but Nicole doesn’t mind.

Even after the tea is gone, she keeps the cup on her desk. Throughout her day, she lets her eyes flicker to the message written across the top.

The two words that have Nicole grinning.

“Kiss me.”


	8. Sweet Kisses and Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night of much needed relaxation

After a long week of fighting off Revenants and investigating other paranormal activity, Waverly was exhausted. She knew Wynonna and Dolls were, too, so she had suggested they spend Friday night relaxing if the Revenants left them alone long enough to breathe. Dolls and Wynonna had protested at first, but Waverly reminded them that exhaustion could defeat them as easily as any Revenant, and they eventually folded.

Luck had been on their side and Friday shaped up to be a rare calm day in Purgatory, and Waverly was more than ready to celebrate with ice cream and a bonfire.  

Nicole came over to the homestead after she finished her shift at the police station. Wynonna had dragged Doc along because somehow he had become a part of their little family, despite his faults. He tried to show off his fire-starting skills with the bonfire, but Wynonna was impatient and quickly stepped in to start it with a long lighter instead of a box of matches. Dolls chuckled in his lawn chair at the indignant expression that fell over Doc’s face. 

Once the fire blazed in the backyard, Wynonna took a seat beside Dolls while Doc fell heavily into the rocking chair he had dragged outside from the living room. Waverly and Nicole sat beside one another on the grass, the fingers of their free hands intertwined while they ate ice cream with the other.

Waverly held a bowl of strawberry and vanilla swirl ice cream in her lap. It may or may not have been her second bowl, but the others didn’t need to know that she ate a bowl before dinner. And maybe some at lunch. Beside her, Nicole pushed around the last of her double fudge brownie ice cream.

“What’s up, Buttercup?”

Nicole shrugged.

“Come on, Officer Haught,” Waverly said. She propped her chin up on Nicole’s shoulder and pouted. “You’re really not gonna tell me what’s wrong?”

“It’s silly.”

“Not if it makes you all mopey.”

Nicole pursed her lips, then said, “You took the last of the strawberry swirl ice cream.”

Waverly rolled her eyes, but she scooped up the last bit of her precious ice cream and held the spoon out to Nicole. When she leaned forward to take some, however, Waverly pulled the spoon away.

“It’s gonna cost you a kiss.”

Nicole laughed before she leaned in and placed a kiss against the corner of Waverly’s mouth. Waverly turned her head before Nicole could pull away and playfully nipped her lower lip. After they broke the kiss, Waverly held out the spoon once more, and Nicole captured it between her lips, never breaking eye contact.

The moment was ruined when a marshmallow smacked against the back of Waverly’s head and bounced onto the grass. She looked over her shoulder and glared at Wynonna.

“Literally everyone here can see you two making goo-goo eyes at one another. Everyone. Go be cute somewhere else so all us single people can wallow in self-pity together.”

Waverly stuck her tongue out. Wynonna flipped her off.

Just to spite her sister, she scooted closer to Nicole and leaned her head against her shoulder. Nicole’s hand slipped away from hers so she could slide her arm around Waverly’s side and pull her closer.

Moments like this, surrounded by the ones she loved with ice cream in hand and a bonfire blazing before her, it was easy for Waverly to forget about the curse that haunted her family. She knew moments like this would be few and far between in the weeks to come, so she cherished it as much as she could now.

She snuggled a little closer and held Nicole a little tighter, like it was the last moment of peace they would have together before all of Hell broke loose in Purgatory. With how things were going, it very well could be, but Waverly tried not to think about that.

Instead, she thought of a future filled with bonfires, sweet kisses, and spoonfuls of strawberry swirl ice cream.


	9. They Aren't Worth It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole acts distant. Waverly finds out why. Brief mentions of homophobia and minor violence in this chapter.

Waverly had spent the past week living out of a hotel with her sister and Dolls. She loved Wynonna, she really did, but a whole week of all three of them going stir crazy in their hotel room had everyone snapping at one another by the end of their stay. It didn’t help that a week in the same room together had amplified the tension between Wynonna and Dolls. On the positive side, the two of them finally acknowledged how they felt about one another. The downside was that Waverly had walked in on them acknowledging those feelings. Physically. 

Next time they needed her to accompany them to the city for an investigation, she was booking her own room.

Most of all, she had missed Nicole and her bright smiles and soft hugs. By the end of the week, she had been the snippiest of all three of them. Now that they were home again, the only thing Waverly wanted to do was snuggle up next to Nicole and enjoy a nice movie night in her apartment. Even that didn’t appear to be happening any time soon, though, because Nicole was taking far too long in the shower, leaving Waverly to fidget on the living room couch.

Finally, she came back to the living room. Her hair was damp and she had slipped into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt at least two sizes too big for her. She gingerly settled herself next to Waverly on the couch, but she wasn’t nearly as close as she would normally get. Waverly frowned, but she dimmed the light on the end-table and played the movie.  

Throughout the movie, Waverly gradually scooted closer and closer to Nicole until she could curl up against her side. The moment she pressed against her skin, however, Nicole flinched, and as hard as she tried to muffle the gasp, Waverly still heard it. She pulled away so she could look Nicole in the eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. You flinched!”

“I didn’t flinch. I was… startled.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

Nicole didn’t argue with that and Waverly’s gaze softened. Gently, she took the hem of Nicole’s t-shirt between her fingers, but Nicole’s hand on her wrist stopped her. Waverly cocked her head to the side.

“This shirt is coming off one way or another, Officer Haught.”

Nicole sighed and slowly pulled the shirt over her head. Even in the dim glow of the television light, Waverly could see the dark outline of a large bruise marring Nicole’s pale skin. She turned on the light and when she returned her gaze to Nicole, her breath caught in her throat.

“What happened?”

Her hand hovered over Nicole’s abdomen, which looked like someone went wild with purple and black paint.

“Some idiots at Shorty’s had more alcohol than they could handle while you were gone and thought they were tough guys, Waverly. That’s all,” Nicole said. “May I put my shirt back on now? It’s chilly in here.”

There had to be something bothering Nicole if she didn’t use the opportunity to make a joke about Waverly getting her shirt off.

“Not before you tell me whose necks I have to wring the next time I work.”

“Waverly, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine, Nicole. Somebody hurt you.”

“Yeah, well, if I got angry at every close-minded idiot who tried to hurt me, I’d be angry all the time,” Nicole said. “They aren’t worth it. And they aren’t worth your anger either.”

The words sounded rehearsed, like Nicole had whispered them to herself a thousand times growing up. She held Nicole’s gaze a moment longer, then told her she was satisfied. Gingerly, Nicole pulled the shirt back on and returned her attention to the television. 

The distance between them lasted until the end of the first movie, but when Waverly hit play on the second, Nicole slowly inched towards her and looked at her with a questioning expression, as if she needed permission to get close to her. Apparently whatever had happened at the bar had hurt Nicole worse than she was willing to let on, but the bruise was the only physical evidence. The deeper wound was up in Nicole’s head. Waverly waved towards her lap and Nicole happily sprawled out across the couch and rested her head on Waverly’s thighs. A moment later, Waverly started to run her fingers through Nicole’s hair.

“You know,” Waverly said over a quiet moment in the movie, “if they aren’t worth getting angry over, whatever they said to you probably isn’t worth anything either. Just a thought.”

“I’m aware,” Nicole said. She leaned into Waverly’s touch and said, “Keep playing with my hair like that, and I’ll forget all about it.”

Waverly hummed and continued her ministrations. A moment later, she leaned down and placed a kiss against Nicole’s temple. As the last bit of tension left Nicole’s body, Waverly swore to herself to find out who had hurt her. She may not be able to force Nicole to give her names, but she was sure Gus would know. She would ask her tomorrow.

Right now, she had more important things to do, like peppering Nicole’s face with kisses to remind her how much she meant to her.


	10. The Words We Say. The Ones We Don't

Dusk had settled over Purgatory and painted the horizon in streaks of purple. After a long day of horseback riding and swimming in one of Purgatory’s few clean lakes, Waverly and Nicole had returned to the homestead with a pleasant fatigue in their muscles. They leaned on each other for support as they stepped onto the front porch of Waverly’s house. When they reached the front door, Nicole took her hat off and fidgeted with it. Waverly found it adorable. It was always nice to see cocky Officer Haught morph into bashful Nicole.

“So I guess this is goodnight, huh?”

“Only if you want to leave,” Waverly said. “I’d really like to drag today out as long as possible.”

Truthfully, she didn’t know when she’d have another day to spend with Nicole. The war with the Revenants was near its boiling point. Wynonna and Dolls would need as much help from her as she could offer, which meant very little time for the relationship she had started to cultivate with Nicole. She was surprised she was able to have today free, but she had a feeling Wynonna had something to do with that.

“I would love to stay,” Nicole said, and the shy smile Waverly had become so fond of made an appearance.

Ten minutes later, they sat on the porch together with two mugs of hot chocolate and a blanket over their knees so they could enjoy the sunset. Neither could hold back their yawns as the sky darkened, though both of them tried valiantly, but it was Waverly who succumbed to exhaustion first and dozed off against Nicole’s shoulder.

When she opened her eyes again, it was to the sound of Nicole’s soft voice above her. She was surprised to find she was still on the front porch, but she had shifted positions in her sleep. Or maybe Nicole had moved her. Either way, her head was now on Nicole’s lap and the blanket that had covered her knees earlier had been draped over her whole body.  She felt a light touch against her scalp and Waverly realized Nicole was combing her fingers through her hair.

“You know, this wasn’t supposed to happen,” Nicole said, and Waverly wasn’t sure if she was supposed to respond, or if Nicole thought she was still asleep. “This was _supposed_ to be a fresh start away from messy feelings and the trouble they bring, but then I ran into you and that plan went right out the window.” Yeah, she definitely thought Waverly was still asleep. Nicole sighed, and for a moment, her fingers stopped their ministrations. Waverly almost pouted—it had felt good—but then she remembered she was supposed to be sleeping.

“I think I might be a little bit in love with you, Waverly Earp,” Nicole said, and it took all of Waverly’s self-control not to react to that bit of information. “I’m in love with you, and it’s terrifying. I know I shouldn’t be scared of that feeling, but there’s so much that could go wrong.” Waverly felt Nicole take a shaky breath before she continued running her fingers through Waverly’s hair. “You’re going through a lot right now. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I do know it has to do with whatever Deputy Marshall Dolls and your sister are up against. I know that it’s dangerous.”

She went quiet again and Waverly was tempted to blow her cover so she could look up and make sure Nicole was okay. But then Nicole continued. “I know it could take you away.” The ‘from me’ went unspoken. “But I’m selfish. I want a lifetime of showing you how much I love you. So I need you to be careful, Waverly. I need you to stay safe.”

Waverly rolled onto her back to look up at Nicole, only to find her gazing down at her with an expression of tender adoration. Maybe she had known Waverly was awake all along.

She reached up and placed the palm of her hand against Nicole’s cheek. “I promise I’ll stay safe.”

Judging by the soft smile that appeared on Nicole’s face, she had heard the unspoken “I love you, too,” tied up in the promise.


End file.
